What happened to Bantamweight?

[Defeat Unknown]

Bantamweight ended 2016 as the one of the hottest divisions in the UFC. On the last PPV of 2016, I think both Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw put on two of the best performances of the year. Seeing those two fight was going to be one of the best fights of 2017.

Then nothing happened.

TJ hasn't fought this year.
Cody hasn't fought this year.
Cruz hasn't fought this year.
Caraway, ranked #6 hasn't fought this year.
Lineker hasn't fought this year.

Dodson 1 fight.
Rivera 1 fight.

The only guys who have been active and winning are Assuncao and Jimmy Rivera, but with Rivera only having 1 fight by July, will he even fight again this year? I suppose it would make sense for Rivera to fight Assuncao. The timing is right for it to happen by the end of the year...

How can an entire division fizzle so fast? 2017 should have been the year of Bantamweight, but instead nothing has really happened to bring attention to it.

And with Dom sitting out but everyone assuming he's next in line for a title shot, pretty much no one else can earn their way to the champion until 2018.

 

[Lavitz]

Sterling has been throwing down.

Font and Lopez look promising.

Cruz refusing to fight anyone is kinda meh. He should fight Raphael.

 

[VVarhead]

Marlon Vera was amazing, yesterday.
That fucking armbar was straight up wizardry, happened so fast.
I don't think BW is too bad right now, except for the Garbrandt vs The Snake match-up that needs to happen.

 

[Jarvan]

BW was def brewin last year.

Kind of at a stand still with Cody, Dom, and TJ inactive.

 

[Frozen Sea]

Didn't Cody say he was out until December?

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

TUF happened, along with Cody Hurtback and WME focusing on women.

 

[Megalodon]

It's a stacked division but it's being held up by Cody's injuries and Dom refusing to fight anyone.

 

[elcj]

Well the top 3 have been on hold for obvious reasons. Don't know why Cruz doesn't just fight someone now before his next fight. He wants title fights only?

 

[VVarhead]

Well the top 3 have been on hold for obvious reasons. Don't know why Cruz doesn't just fight someone now before his next fight. He wants title fights only?

It seems so. Dude should fight a contender, he is in no-position for a title-shot imo. Also Anik calling him the "greatest Bantamweight of All-Time" yesterday kinda triggered me.

 

[CobraCobretti]

Rivera vs Assuncao is 100% guaranteed decision. Combined they have 75% decision rate at the UFC. Good fighters, tho.

 

[TRTVitor]

I'd much rather see Rivera vs Lineker than Rivera vs Assuncao

 

[Mob69]

Inactivity. The thing which always derails momentum and saps energy in contemporary MMA.

Whether it's due to injury or guys choosing to sit out because of low pay from the UFC, inactivity is prevalent - and a fucking sport killer.